OpenAI chatbot's voice sparks controversy over likeness to Scarlett Johansson | ABC News
TLDROpenAI's new chatbot has stirred controversy due to its voice resembling Scarlett Johansson, who previously played a chatbot in 'Her'. Users noted the similarity in the demo of the GPT-40 model, which uses emotive voices. OpenAI has suspended the voice, named Sky, to address the concerns. The company stated it was not an imitation but belonged to another actress. Amidst this, there's criticism over OpenAI's decision to dissolve its safety alignment team after resignations. The team was to govern AI systems, but former workers alleged they were often denied resources. AI expert Will Knight raises questions about the voice generation and ethical implications, especially considering the potential addictive nature of such technology.
Takeaways
- 🗣️ OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot, named Sky, has been suspended due to its similarity to actress Scarlett Johansson's voice.
- 🎥 The chatbot's voice was showcased in a demo of the GP40 model, which uses emotive voices to answer questions.
- 🎬 Scarlett Johansson, who played a chatbot in the 2013 film 'Her', reportedly asked for clarification from OpenAI after hearing the voice.
- 🤔 OpenAI stated in a blog post that the voice was not an imitation and belonged to another actress, but questions remain about its generation.
- 📣 The controversy has raised concerns about copyright and the ethical implications of AI technology.
- 💼 OpenAI has faced criticism and internal turmoil, including the dissolution of its 'super alignment team' and resignations of key employees.
- 👥 The super alignment team was responsible for developing governance and steering mechanisms for AI systems, but faced issues with resource allocation.
- 🏆 Yan Licki, co-lead of the super alignment team, detailed the reasons for his resignation, citing the struggle for compute resources as a hindrance to research.
- 🤖 AI expert Will Knight highlighted the need for stress testing and ethical considerations in AI development, especially regarding the influence on users.
- 📚 The chatbot's voice controversy and the team's dissolution raise questions about the pace of AI development and its societal impact.
- 🚨 The incident serves as a cautionary tale, prompting discussions on the potential addictiveness and objectification issues related to AI technology.
Q & A
What controversy has OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot stirred up?
-OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot, the demo of the chat gp40 model, has sparked controversy because it sounds strikingly similar to actress Scarlett Johansson, who has voiced concerns and sought clarification from OpenAI.
What was the chatbot's voice named and what happened to it?
-The chatbot's voice was named Sky. After the controversy, OpenAI has suspended the use of this voice while they work to address the concerns raised.
What did OpenAI claim in their blog post regarding the voice resembling Scarlett Johansson?
-In a blog post, OpenAI claimed that the voice was not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson and that it belonged to another actress.
How did Scarlett Johansson respond to the voice resembling her?
-Scarlett Johansson issued a statement saying that she was asked to provide the voice but declined. After hearing the AI voice, she got her lawyers involved to seek clarification from OpenAI, which then took down the voice.
What recent criticism is OpenAI facing regarding its super alignment team?
-OpenAI is facing criticism for dissolving its super alignment team shortly after several employees resigned. The former workers alleged that the team, responsible for developing ways to govern and steer AI systems, was often denied the promised 20% of the company's compute resources.
What was the reason given by Yan Licki, the co-lead of the super alignment team, for his resignation?
-Yan Licki detailed that the struggle for compute resources was stopping crucial research from getting done, which was one of the reasons for his resignation.
What concerns does artificial intelligence expert Will Knight raise about the voice generation process?
-Will Knight raises questions about how the voice was generated and what OpenAI's attitudes are towards copyright, as well as the stress testing and ethical implications of the technology.
What cautionary tale is mentioned in the script, and how is it relevant to the chatbot controversy?
-The cautionary tale mentioned is the movie 'Her', which is relevant because it raises questions about the influence of AI chatbots on people, especially when they are designed to be more evocative and potentially addictive.
What high-profile resignations occurred at OpenAI recently?
-The high-profile resignations included the co-leads of OpenAI's super alignment team, which focused on long-term risks associated with AI.
What is the super alignment team's focus within OpenAI, and why has its dissolution raised concerns?
-The super alignment team focused on longer-term risks, such as the potential for AI to turn against humans in the future. Its dissolution raises concerns about safety in the AI space and the company's ability to gauge the impact of their technology.
What ethical implications are suggested by the controversy surrounding the AI-generated voice?
-The controversy suggests ethical implications regarding the objectification of women, the potential addictiveness of AI chatbots, and the need for companies to consider the broader impact of their technology before releasing it.
Outlines
🤖 AI Voice Controversy
OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot, GP40, has drawn attention due to its uncanny resemblance to actress Scarlet Johansson's voice. The controversy arose after users noticed the demo featuring emotive voices sounded like Johansson, who played a chatbot in the 2013 film 'Her'. OpenAI suspended the voice named 'Sky' to address the concerns. In a blog post, the company stated it was not an imitation and belonged to another actress. The actress has issued a statement claiming she was asked to provide the voice but declined, and after hearing the AI's voice, she sought clarification from OpenAI, which then removed the voice. This incident has raised questions about voice generation, copyright, and the ethical implications of AI technology, especially considering its potential addictiveness and influence on users.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡OpenAI
💡Scarlett Johansson
💡Chatbot
💡Voice-enabled
💡Demo
💡Ethical implications
💡Super alignment team
💡Governance
💡Artificial Intelligence Expert
💡Stress testing
💡Addictiveness
Highlights
OpenAI's new voice-enabled chatbot is attracting attention due to its similarity to Scarlett Johansson's voice.
The chatbot, named Sky, uses emotive voices to answer questions and has been compared to the actress's voice.
Scarlett Johansson has denied giving her voice to OpenAI and has sought clarification from the company.
OpenAI has suspended the use of the voice named Sky and is addressing concerns.
The company claims in a blog post that the voice does not imitate Johansson and belongs to another actress.
AI expert Will Knight raises questions about the generation of the voice and its copyright implications.
Concerns are raised about the potential objectification of women and the influence of AI chatbots on users.
The controversy occurs amidst criticism over OpenAI's decision to dissolve its super alignment team.
The super alignment team was responsible for developing ways to govern and steer AI systems.
Several employees of the super alignment team have resigned, alleging they were denied promised resources.
Yan Licki, the team's co-lead, detailed the reasons for his resignation on a public forum.
OpenAI's co-founder Ilia Sutskever was part of the super alignment team and has also left the company.
Questions are raised about the safety and ethical implications of AI technology.
The chatbot's voice controversy highlights the need for stress testing and understanding the influence of AI on users.
The dissolution of the super alignment team suggests potential internal conflicts within OpenAI.
The pace at which AI companies are moving raises concerns about the assessment of technology's impact.